France will double the production of “smart” AASM Hammer guided aerial bombs for Ukraine
The French defense-industrial sector is preparing for a significant increase in the production of high-precision AASM Hammer aviation ammunition for the needs of Ukraine. In 2025, it is planned to produce 1,200 such bombs – almost twice as many as were produced last year, when this number was 830 units. This is reported by the French publication The Parisian.
AASM (Armement Air-Sol Modulaire) is a French-made high-precision air weapon developed by Safran Electronics & Defense. It consists of navigation and engine modules, which are installed on classic bombs, which makes it possible to significantly increase the accuracy of damage. The system is able to work effectively even under conditions of active radio electronic suppression, when GPS may not be available.
After the full-scale Russian invasion, production of these munitions in France quadrupled, and now they are actively supplied to Ukraine. Today, French AASMs are used by Ukrainian MiG and Su fighters. This adaptation was carried out very quickly – in less than four months in the fall of 2023, when it became clear that the American JDAMs were not showing the proper effectiveness in real combat conditions.
As Jean-Noel Mayet, director of operations at Safran, explained, AASM’s guidance system combines inertial navigation and other sensors to ensure accurate targeting even if satellite communications are lost. Thanks to this, the bomb can hit both stationary and moving objects, avoiding the impact of the enemy’s EW.
According to Safran President Frank Sodo, AASM bombs allow simultaneous strikes on multiple targets from different heights, and their warhead can weigh from 250 to 1,000 kg. The system is suitable for both point operations and mass strikes.
Currently, deliveries are running at a rate of about 50 units per month, but demand from the Ukrainian side is growing. The French Ministry of Defense confirms that AASM has become an important part of military assistance to Kyiv and one of the most effective systems of modern warfare. American military experts have already dubbed these bombs “weapons of the new generation”, successfully performing their functions against the background of a difficult situation at the front.
